BLACK WIDOW: RUSSIAN SPY TO AVENGER

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Black Widow, a Marvel Studios action-packed spy thriller, unfolds the conspiracies that tie the past of Natasha Romanoff, aka Black Widow, forcing her to confront her darker roots. The movie follows Natasha dealing with the broken relationships she left behind before becoming an Avenger. It also features Natasha, finding herself hunted by forces determined to bring her down.

This article provides a brief overview of the movie, so if you haven’t seen it yet, be prepared for spoilers. And a heads-up on the MCU sequence. Black Widow occurs earlier in the Marvel timeline, following Captain America’s Civil War and before Avengers Infinity War.

Black Widow Official Trailer, Marvel Entertainment

PLOTLINE

Black Widow, directed by Cate Shortland, is the first female director in the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe). It took Marvel Entertainment about thirteen years and twenty-four films to reach this point, making it a sincere yet modest effort. Even though the movie does its best to give Natasha, aka Black Widow, her due, it just falls short of being anything but serviceable.

The plotline centers on the Avengers defying the Sokovia Accords. They are on the run from General Ross, who has continued his crusade against Natasha Romanoff. Just as she hides after one adventure, a new one immediately seeks her out. The events are tied to her past, as the unwritten rules of superhero movies generally dictate. It is a trend that comes with the territory of these movies, but here, there isn’t enough going on to distract you from it or absorb you.

Her surrogate superhero family, the Avengers, frays at the seams, forcing her to seek out her assigned surrogate spy family. The movie shows how she grew up with an undercover Russian family posing as Americans. Alexei as her father (David Harbour), Melina as her mother (Rachel Weisz), and Yelena as her sister (Florence Pugh). She must reunite with these past people anew to make amends for her mistakes. The story unfolds to destroy the Red Room that created Natasha.

SCREENPLAY

Black Widow has similar stakes to Captain America’s The Winter Soldier. But it has a more grounded setting focused heavily on spy tactics than a superhero. However, one of its most compelling segments was its first twenty minutes, during which Natasha is in hiding. The scenes primarily characterize her before the plot takes over, and she gets somewhat sidelined. After Natasha’s world has collapsed and the Avengers have imploded, she is isolated and alone.

A rare period of calm precedes the defining superhero storm. And as the movie unfolds, the proceedings are less about her old life and more about those around her.

In some ways, Black Widow is more like a “reunion” movie. Aside from that, it introduces Florence Pugh’s witty assassin, Yelena, perhaps the future Black Widow. As Natasha’s relationship with her newly reunited fake spy family unfolds, it highlights the trauma of having their childhood stolen by strangers. It also shows the difficulties in establishing real bonds with them. Then again, the extent of their connection or, more importantly, their pain boiled down to cliches and a dull exchange of words.

In some instances during the movie, the script seems to be begging for a big set piece. For example, after her first encounter with Taskmaster (a new deadly assassin on the scene), Natasha tracks down Yelena, her long-lost sister. Strangely, their first action is to fight because that’s how assassins greet each other, right? In the later parts of the film, there is an entertaining prison break sequence. And for unknown reasons, it is followed by a massive virtual avalanche. The film also features a familiar finale, a CGI-heavy, contrived climax set inside a giant structure that seems to explode for half an hour.

Later, like most Marvel movies, comes an inbuilt villain problem with a mysterious link to the protagonist, General Dreykov’s past. Although he appears to be an evil villain on paper, controlling an army of women against their will, his true nature is also nothing more than his evil plans.

Scarlett Johansson for Black Widow, Marvel Studios

OPINION

Black Widow explores and explains everything previously mentioned, including the daughter of Drakov, Budapest, and the Red Room. The performances of Scarlett Johansson, David Harbour, Rachel Weisz, and Florence Pugh were outstanding undoubtedly. Moreover, substantial credit for the movie goes to the directors’ tight action choreography to blend the classic spy-action elements into the film. In other words, the plotline and script of the movie would be utterly dull without these talented actors and the director.

This movie has moments when you can envision what it could have been. The new Natasha returns to an old world where the former spy, whose skills can play any role the situation calls for, learns empathy and connection and becomes a member of something greater. Don’t you think it would have been interesting to explore that more?

Following much criticism and fan pressure, the long-awaited prequel to Natasha Romanoff and her origins finally aired. Yet, the film feels like her character didn’t contribute much to the MCU. There are many ways that Black Widow can be considered a consolation film. After all, why did Thor, Captain America, and Iron Man get three standalone films before Natasha Romanoff even got one? Her world has enough characters, backstories, and intrigue to fill an entire series. But then again, many movies in 2021 have felt different because they took place in a post-COVID world. Despite this, Black Widow feels distinctly like a pre-COVID production. It gives viewers a closer look at one of Marvel’s most beloved characters. And Natasha Romanoff definitely deserved better!!

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